Uzumaki Courtship
by bardsocko
Summary: Naruto and Hinata are going on their first date. Will Konoha survive? Takes place after 'Hyuuga Succession.' [NaruHina] and [NejiTen implied]
1. Serendipitous Reunion

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto. Please feel free to review, flame, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

Uzumaki Naruto was a creature of habit. Early every morning, he would rise with the first crowing of the roosters, rapidly consume a breakfast of buttered toast and frequently spoiled milk, then race off to start a day of training with Jiraiya, or missions with Sakura and Kakashi. As it happened, this day Jiraiya was off on another one of his 'intelligence gathering' expeditions, and Kakashi was busy on an S-ranked mission that would take him out of Konoha for the next several days. Sakura had reluctantly invited Naruto to help her as she went on her rounds through the hospital, but the blonde shinobi wisely begged off. The last time he had visited, his penchant for mischief nearly killed one of the patients. He sighed to himself while he dressed, remembering the incident that got him banned from the hospital for a week.

_"Naruto, you idiot! Not here! I could get fired!"_ Sakura nearly screamed, as Naruto began a series of hand seals. He grinned before nodding at the bedridden man in his late sixties.

"_Relax, Sakura! The old man told me he was tired of looking at saggy, expired women, and flat-chested, pre-pubescent girls!"_ Naruto missed the darkening of Sakura's expression, and continued on, unaware of her rising choler. _"I'll show him my new super, ultra perverted jutsu, and that should keep him satisfied until he gets out of here."_

_"Noooo!"_

Heedless of her warning, Naruto had executed his super, ultra perverted, jutsu with the kind of flair and talent his master would have been extremely proud of. The resulting jutsu gave the man a nosebleed….followed by cardiac arrest. Shizune, Sakura, and three other medical ninjas massaged the man's heart with chakra, and managed to revive him, noting the extremely pleased expression plastered on his face. Sakura had been reprimanded, and Shizune pulled Naruto to the side, gently and politely informing him that if she ever saw his face in the hospital again for any other reason beyond severe injuries, his ability to procreate would be forfeit. Her sweet smile was punctuated by an aura of killing intent which had the young man flying out of the hospital for all he was worth.

Naruto locked the door to his small apartment, and leaped over several rooftops before settling on a road to walk down. He ignored the cold stares of the villagers, and waved cheerfully at the owner of the Ichiraku Ramen stand as he made his way to the Genin training grounds. At least once a week, Naruto would stop by the three, small wooden posts and stare off into the distance, his mind calling back the successes and failures of past missions. Mostly though, his thoughts would drift to Team 7's first test from Kakashi. He remembered being tied to the damn wooden post, his hunger exacerbated by his frustration at failing to capture one of those stupid bells. He remembered Sasuke offering him a portion of his lunch, sealing the friendship/rivalry that would define their close bond. Now Sasuke was a missing-nin, a traitor to Konoha, and a pawn of Orochimaru, and Naruto had vowed to become the strongest shinobi in the world to save his friend. To any casual observer, Naruto's self-imposed promise was the stuff of delusional fantasies, but Naruto never went back on his word. It was his ninja way.

The sun began to cut through the chill and mist of the early morning, and to Naruto's surprise, he saw two figures sparring in front of the wooden training posts. Lowering his chakra levels to conceal his presence, he made his way stealthily towards them, taking cover in the nearby grove of trees. As he got closer, the style of taijutsu both figures were using was unmistakable: Hyuuga style Gentle Fist. The movement of both was deceptively graceful, and seemed almost as if it were a dance of sorts. Naruto, having been on the receiving end of it once, knew better than that. The taller of the two, began a relentless assault that had the smaller dodging and blocking for all he/she was worth, all the while being steadily pushed backwards. With a fierce yell, the taller one gave a powerful, double palmed blow to the shorter, knocking him/her to the ground. Naruto's eyes widened as he realized the taller was Neji, and the shorter was Hinata. Hinata groaned as she slowly got to her feet, eliciting a growl from Neji.

"Come on Hinata-sama," he said in a goading tone of voice, "We've only been at this for a half-hour. Are you tired already? How do you hope to run the Hyuuga clan with this kind of endurance?" Naruto felt his hackles beginning to rise. He thought they had been through this already. Neji had seemed like a new person when they had gone out to bring back Sasuke with the other Genin… Why was he behaving like this? Naruto burst out of the trees angrily, shaking his fist at the taller Jounin.

"What's your problem, Neji? I thought I told you to stop picking on Hinata! Just 'cause you're a Jounin now, don't think I won't kick your ass." Neji and Hinata both stared at Naruto with the same white-eyed expression of surprise. Neji raised his hands and shook his head.

"No, Naruto, it's not what you think, we're--" He was cut off by Hinata, who used the distraction to direct a sweeping kick that knocked him flat. He attempted to rise, but was pinned to the ground as Hinata leaped on him, one hand holding his throat, the other cocked back for a tenketsu strike. Sighing, Neji raised his hand in surrender, which elicited a giggle from Hinata, who promptly removed herself, letting him stand. The Hyuuga girl shyly walked over to Naruto, whose mouth was stuck agape.

"Good…good morning, Naruto-kun," she murmured, her eyes meeting his timidly. Naruto shook off his surprise, and gave her a broad grin.

"That was so cool, Hinata! When'd you learn to fight like that! Man, you've gotten stronger – going head to head with Neji like that and winning! Awesome, I wanna spar with you sometime!" He talked too fast for Hinata to get in a word, and would have continued for some time if it wasn't for Neji, who cleared his throat.

"Ahem, Naruto… As I was trying to explain before, Hinata-sama and I have been practicing together for some time now. She's got a lot more talent than I or anyone else gave her credit for… she merely lacks self-confidence. Something, we've been working on, right Hinata-sama?" His pointed question had Hinata taking her fingers apart, which had habitually begun rubbing together the minute Naruto appeared. She also stood straighter, bringing herself out of her usual, timid, hunched posture. Naruto couldn't help but notice that she had grown up a bit herself, in the two and half years he had been gone. Very pleasing curves began to show themselves in her figure, and Naruto fought back the urge to make a comment. _Damn. Too much time with that perverted bastard of a teacher. _

"And," Neji continued, the vexation on his face obvious, "She did not beat me. The match was over the minute you interrupted us."

"Well, Neji-niisan," Hinata said with an almost smile on her face, "Did you not say a match is only over when someone has conceded defeat or is unable to continue fighting? Did you not say that the key to success as a shinobi is complete and absolute surprise?" Neji stewed for a moment, his eyes narrowed. Abruptly, his eyes softened, and he smiled.

"I said all that, did I? Well, I'm glad you've been paying attention, Hinata-sama. Alright, victory goes to you today. It seems whenever Nartuo is around, your best comes out. If I were you, I'd keep him around as a lucky charm." His grin elicited a puzzled expression from Naruto and a fierce blush from Hinata.

"Why're you turning all red like that, Hinata?" Naruto asked with a confused frown, "You getting sick or something? Allergies?"

"No, I… umm…" Hinata trailed off, her words getting tangled in her throat. The silence would have been awkward were it not for a flash of bright green that suddenly exploded into the clearing. When the huge dust cloud had cleared, standing it its place was familiar figure clad in a Chuunin vest. One arm behind him, and the other extended in challenge, Rock Lee gave Neji a fierce grin.

"Neji, my eternal rival, It is time!" Neji sighed slightly before nodding. He turned to Hinata and Naruto.

"Sorry Naruto, I've got something to take care of. I'll talk with you later. Hinata-sama… this is the first time you've seen Naruto in a while, isn't it? Why don't you take him somewhere to eat? Here, your father gave me money for our breakfast, but I doubt I'll have time for it." Hinata nodded weakly, accepting the money from him. _Without even trying, Neji-niisan had just set her up on her first date with Naruto-kun. This was truly the power of the Hyuuga genius!_

"Naruto-kun! Long time no see!" Lee said by way of greeting, "You seem even stronger than when we last met. We should set up a time to duel. I am in need of strong training partners if I am going to best Neji here. He's already up fifty points because he made Jounin before me!"

"Lee," Neji replied tiredly, "We don't even have a point system set up. When did you decide I was up by 'fifty points?' " Lee's eyes burned with the inner fire of youthful enthusiasm, and he clenched his fist dramatically.

"Ooooh! Neji, that laid back attitude of yours is strangely irritating! Between your cold sarcasm and my passionate honesty, our rivalry is shaping up to be as beautiful as the one between Gai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei!"

"No, dammit!" Neji barked, "We are in no way getting into a vaguely homoerotic co-dependent relationship like the one those two idiots share!"

"Neji!" Lee shouted, "How can you say that about Gai-sensei? He is the most red-blooded, straight throwing shinobi I know! Why, I would tell you the lurid tales of his conquests were it not for the presence of your delicately beautiful cousin here."

"Lee," Neji said slowly, "Keep your eyes off my cousin." Lee laughed a hearty laugh before throwing Neji a powerful thumbs-up.

"Fear not, Neji! My heart belongs only to the fair Sakura-san! Her willful, unbending strength is well suited to the intensity of my amorous passions! Hinata-san is a fragile, white lily, deserving of more gentle affections. If I were you, Naruto-kun, I would--"

"Okay Lee," Neji interrupted, grabbing him around the neck, "I think it's time we settled this duel."

"Right you are, Neji! The score is currently 1 to 40 in your favor! I think this time we should use genjutsu as the determining factor for our match." Neji sighed, as they walked away, his posture becoming slumped and listless.

"Lee, you can't use anything but taijutsu. Why would you want to have a contest over something you can't do?"

"Ohh! Neji, your cold logic will not stand up to the fervor of my sincere intentions! If I can't outdo you in genjutsu, I will do three thousand high kicks!"

Hinata and Naruto watched the two wander off, their voices becoming inaudible after a while. Naruto grinned slightly.

"He's something else, isn't he?" Naruto said softly, eliciting a nod from Hinata.

"Lee-kun's 'self-imposed rule' was taught to him by Gai-sensei. It's how he approaches all of his training."

"Sheer genius," Naruto exclaimed with a grin, "I'll have to apply it to my training as well! I'm sorry Hinata, I've been getting so caught up, I forgot to ask you where you want to eat."

"Well," Hinata said with a soft smile, "I was thinking ramen?"


	2. Troublesome Conversations

"I never figured you to be a fan of ramen," Naruto commented happily as he and Hinata strolled down the central marketplace of Konoha. Several of the shop owners eyed Naruto warily, while many of the mothers pulled their children behind them, giving Naruto and Hinata a wide berth. Out of the corner of her eye, the Hyuuga girl noticed these strange actions with a mixture of indignation and sadness. Having watched Naruto since she was little, she was familiar with the bizarre coldness that the village adults displayed towards the young man, but in no way condoned it. Naruto chose to ignore it all, smiling brightly at everyone, and waving whenever it struck his fancy, regardless of the suppressed hostility he received. Hinata wished she could have the same inner strength he displayed on a daily basis.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked in a puzzled voice. Hinata realized that she had been so busy observing him, that she had forgotten to speak.

"Oh, um… Sorry Naruto-kun," she said softly, "I don't normally eat ramen, but I know it's your favorite… so…"

"Huh? How'd you know it was my favorite?"

"Um… I think everyone knows, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a shy smile. Naruto grinned widely and slapped her on the back, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Is it that obvious? Man, I need to vary my routine a little! How am I going to keep up my reputation as Konoha's number one, most unpredictable ninja?" Hinata giggled and shrugged her shoulders, eliciting a laugh from Naruto.

"Wow, I think that's the first time I've heard you laugh, Hinata! Things sure have changed since I've been gone."

"Yes," she said with a firm nod, "We've all been working very hard."

"So I've heard," Naruto replied brightly, "Congratulations on becoming a Chuunin by the way! I heard everyone made Chuunin while I was gone…" His smile wavered slightly as he trailed off. Hinata frowned with concern.

"Naruto-kun… If someone like me could make Chuunin, I'm sure you would have made it too. The only reason you didn't, was because you were away training on your own. You're probably even stronger than Neji-niisan… Definitely stronger than me."

"Hinata," Naruto scolded, "No more talk like that! You're way stronger than you give yourself credit for. Not only that, you're probably the nicest person I know." Hinata sighed to herself. It was great that Naruto was trying to cheer her up, but being called 'nice' wasn't exactly the sort of compliment one wanted to hear from the object of her affection.

"Plus," Naruto said cheerfully, "You've gotten a lot more pretty! Your hair's gotten longer, and your bre – um… I mean that is… eh heh… looks like we're here," he said lamely, pointing at the Ichiraku Ramen stand." Naruto was blushing furiously and looking at the ground now, sweat pouring down his face. Hinata knew she should have been offended, but to hear the compliment, clumsy as it was, gave her strength.

Pretending she didn't hear that last comment, she timidly put her hand on Naruto's shoulder, which caused him to stiffen up and look at her. Seeing that she wasn't about to slug him like Sakura or Ino tended to whenever his mouth got ahead of his head, he breathed a sigh of relief and grinned.

"Thanks Hinata. I'm really an idiot sometimes."

"You're a proud idiot, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a smile of her own, "And you learn from your mistakes."

"Hinata, you're really someone I could like," Naruto declared before he realized what came out of his mouth. This caused both of them to blush and look away for a moment, before the owner of Ichiraku called out to Naruto enthusiastically.

"Hey, sonny! Who's the lady? I didn't know you had a girlfriend." Naruto and Hinata both began to fumble over their words as they tried to respond, which caused the owner to grin with amusement.

"Okay, I get it. It's like _that_, huh? Alright, why don't you and your non-girlfriend have a seat and place your orders?" The old man chuckled to himself as he began to prep his ingredients. It was only 8 in the morning, but he had anticipated the appearance of Konoha's number one connoisseur of noodles, and his best customer. Gratefully, the two took a seat and began looking at their menus. Naruto enthusiastically chattered away, pointing out some of his favorite dishes, while Hinata merely nodded and listened appreciatively.

"Hey Gramps," Naruto yelled out, "We're ready to order!" The owner sent his granddaughter, Ayame to take their orders. The pretty, brown haired girl finished tucking her hair under her cap and smiled at the two.

"Curry pork ramen for me!" Naruto nearly shouted.

"I'd like the miso pork ramen and a side of gyoza, please," Hinata said politely. Naruto gave her a thumbs-up.

"Excellent choice, Hinata! I didn't realize you liked gyoza so much… Your appetite sure is healthy these days." Hinata fought back the urge to smile. The way Naruto was gesticulating and shouting every other sentence, he was beginning to resemble Lee. _This is the passion of youth_, she thought with a mental shrug.

"Actually Naruto-kun, the gyoza is for you. I know _your_ appetite is always healthy." Ayame laughed to herself as she collected their menus and walked back to place their order. Naruto continued to talk enthusiastically, regaling her with stories from his training, and the misadventures his current teacher had gotten them into. When the food arrived, there was a lull in the conversation, as Naruto began to enthusiastically devour everything in sight. Hinata soon was too full to finish her bowl, and Naruto happily took up the charge of finishing off her bowl as well. She could tell he was tempted to order more, but stopped himself out of deference to her company.

"So Hinata," Naruto finally said, "What's been going on with you? How are things with your folks?"

"Much better, thank you," Hinata replied after taking a sip of the green tea Ayame provided for them, "Father has agreed to let Neji-niisan train with him at the Main House with Hanabi and me."

"Awesome," Naruto said with a grin, "I noticed you and Neji seem to be getting along better these days, too! He's being nice to you, I hope." Hinata giggled at the fierce protectiveness in Naruto's eyes, but had to admit he had reason to be concerned. A little less than three years ago, her older cousin had almost killed her during her first Chuunin exam, and had expressed a seething animosity towards her. However, thanks to the words and deeds of the hyper-active shinobi sitting next to her, Neji's whole mindset had changed, and he became the cousin she'd always longed for.

"Yes, he's been more than nice to me these last two years… Neji-niisan has truly become an older brother to me, protecting me whenever he can."

"Yeah, well… Just remember, _I_ was the one who stood up for you first," Naruto said in voice that sounded distinctly petulant. Hinata was startled by his sudden, bitter expression, and set her cup down before resting her hand on Naruto's shoulder. He looked at her, an unsure expression on his face.

"Naruto-kun, you'll always be the one who I see as my hero," she said softly, "You're the only one who saw me for what I could be, and not what I was." Naruto felt his throat tighten, and he nodded before leaning over to murmur back.

"And you were the first one to see me for what I could be… maybe even before I did."

"But I never… I never was able to let you know how I felt…I never stood by you when I saw…" Hinata trailed off, her voice thick with regret. She was shocked when Naruto put his arm around her awkwardly and gave her a slight hug.

"But you saw it. You believed in me," he said firmly, "It doesn't matter if no one else knew… You had faith… I never got a chance to tell you how much that means to me…. Thank you Hinata."

"You're welcome, Naruto-kun," she said lamely, enjoying the warm embrace he was giving her. She wished the moment would go on forever, as she relished the comforting acceptance. It was an acceptance she had not experienced since her mother had died many years ago. Growing up with the overwhelming expectations of the Hyuuga legacy, Hinata was denied the love and compassion common in so many other families. In some ways, she envied Naruto. He never knew his family, and could fantasize about the tender moments they might have shared together. Hinata had a real family… a real family that had chosen to reject her. Sighing to herself, she chose to banish such thoughts, and enjoy this one moment with Naruto, before the harshness of reality would have to resume.

"Wow, Naruto with his arm around a girl… this has troublesome written all over it," a wry sounding voice commented, causing Naruto and Hinata to both gasp with surprise and pull apart. Turning to the source, they were astounded to see Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru standing just a few feet from them, grins plastered on their faces.

"Naruto, you pig! What are doing with Hinata!" Ino yelled out mischievously, "Are you paying her to hang out with you?"

"Did you buy her lunch?" Choji asked as he munched on a bag of potato chips, "If you wanted company, you should've told me. I'll hang out with you anytime, if you're buying."

"Feh," Shikamaru said with scowl, "Is _that_ the only reason we hang out, Chouji? 'Cause I buy you lunch?"

"Of course not, Shikamaru," Chouji exclaimed, "You also buy me dinner if we spend too much time watching the clouds while we're hiding from Ino."

"So that's where you guys are all the time!" Ino exclaimed as the three of them took a seat next to Naruto and Hinata, "You keep telling me you're doing special training with Asuma whenever I ask you guys to go shopping with me."

"Dammit, Chouji," Shikamaru said as he rubbed his face, "All right Ino, the next time we're free, we'll go shopping with you."

"What a wonderful coincidence," Ino practically purred, "Asuma said that we get the rest of the day off since we completed our mission in record time this morning!" Shikamaru and Chouji exchanged glances and sighed with resignation.

"Don't make those faces," Ino said gleefully, "Shikamaru, I saw the perfect pair of pants to go with your Chuunin attire! It won't do to wear those silly shorts now that you've got the flak jacket… and Chouji, there was this new health food store that opened several blocks down! I want you to buy some healthier snacks from now on… since you're a Chuunin too, you have to think about your health more seriously…"

Naruto surreptitiously kicked Hinata under the counter softly, and nodded towards the alley. Catching his hint, she took her money out to pay, and the two of them stood to leave as the other three continued to bicker.

"Hold on a minute," Ino called out with a predatory grin, "Where do you think you two are going?" Naruto winced visibly and turned back to smile at them innocently.

"Well, uh… you know… I don't want to get in the way of your bonding… so I thought I'd walk Hinata home…"

"Walk her home at eleven in the morning?" Shikamaru asked sardonically. Misery it seemed, really did love company. Naruto mentally cursed and swore revenge upon the shadow jutsu user.

"It seems like your date was only getting started," Ino mentioned with a wink at Hinata, "Why don't the two of you join us for some shopping. I'll even tell you exactly what to buy for her, Naruto. What do you say?"

"Well, I would… but you know how strict Hinata's father is," Naruto began with an apologetic smile, "She's a very busy person, and I'm sure--"

"I've been given the day off!" Hinata practically shouted, "I'd love to go shopping, Naruto-kun." Naruto's face fell with shock, and Hinata felt herself blushing at her own brazenness. Ino and Shikamaru wore impish grins on their faces. Chouji just snorted with impatience and began to eat Shikamaru's noodles, which had arrived before his.

"Oh… ah ha ha…" Naruto said weakly, "Well then… um… if you wanted company, you should have just said so, Hinata! Uzumaki Naruto would never leave a young, pretty – um… pretty strong person high and dry if it meant that much to her."

Hinata simultaneously fought to keep from blushing, and from laughing. Naruto was such a transparent liar… and on top of that, he had called her 'pretty!'

"Thank you very much Naruto-kun," she said graciously, "I would love to have your company."

"Troublesome doesn't even begin to describe the situation," Shikamaru commented glumly, snatching his bowl of half-eaten ramen back from Chouji.


	3. Troublesome Conversations Continued

When Jiraiya wasn't around to steal his frog wallet, Naruto normally had a lot of money on him. The pay from his missions wasn't spectacular, but with no other love than ramen and the basic necessities, the Kyuubi containing ninja actually had accumulated a fair amount of spending cash. It would have been a good thing if it didn't serve as just one more reminder of how alone Naruto was even in his own village. Other people had families and significant others to buy presents for, or take out for meals. Naruto had an empty apartment every morning and evening.

Sakura tried to include him whenever she could, but her training with Tsunade often occupied most of her time, and Naruto wouldn't dream of begrudging her the few moments she had to herself. In some ways, despite outward appearances, his behavior had matured, and he had learned to give the pink-haired kunoichi her own space. Despite all that he had done, Sakura still pined away for Sasuke, and Naruto began to understand that forcing his feelings upon her would ruin the friendship they had forged over the years. Though she often abused him both physically and verbally, Sakura held a deep affection for Naruto, that much to his regret, was strictly platonic.

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto watched the girl walking next to him as they followed Team 10 down the main avenue of Konoha's shopping district. He once regarded Hinata as a shy, dark, timid weirdo when they had started out as Genin, but having watched her fight with Neji, and spoken with her before his own match, Naruto realized Hinata possessed an inner-strength and purity of character that outshone every other girl he knew. Still slightly shy, but by no means timid anymore, Hinata had also blossomed from a 'dark weirdo' to an extremely pretty young woman. She had grown slightly taller since he had last seen her, and had certainly filled out in ways that were pleasing to the eye.

"Is something wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, feeling his eyes on her, "I'm not being a bother am I?" Naruto flushed slightly, and looked away, before putting a big grin on his face.

"Of course not, Hinata! We're both victims of circumstance today. Everyone keeps insisting that we're on some sort of 'date!' Ridiculous, isn't it?" He then proceeded to make a big show of guffawing heartily. His laughter elicited a hurt expression from the Hyuuga girl who didn't say anything in return. His laughing died on his tongue, and Naruto glanced at her nervously. Was it something he had said? They walked on in silence until Ino pointed at a clothing boutique enthusiastically and ran over to Shikamaru, dragging him by his top knot into the store.

"Hrmmm… Try the black one again…" Ino said as she roved a critical eye over Shikamaru, who stood in a pair of long, gray trousers. Next to him, lay a pile of the same style of pants in at least ten different colors. Sighing dramatically, the bored looking ninja walked back towards the dressing room, his pants in tow. Chouji had been kicked out of the store after he opened his third bag of potato chips, and was currently checking out the ice cream shop next door. Hinata and Naruto sat next to Ino, privately enjoying the torture of Konoha's smartest Chuunin.

"Do you want anything, Hinata?" Naruto whispered as Shikamaru reappeared to Ino's appreciative whistling, "I'm sure you would look very nice in one those dresses Ino was looking at." Hinata fought back her instinctive wince. He was using 'nice' again.

"Naruto," Ino said as she leaned over to glare at him, "Do me a favor, and please stop using the phrase 'nice' when you describe how Hinata looks. Would you like it if Sakura said you looked 'nice' after all this time?" Naruto nodded vigorously, eliciting a sigh from both girls, as well as Shikamaru.

"Yes, I suppose that would be something coming from Forehead Girl," Ino commented with a chuckle, "Listen, you're denser than lead sometimes, Naruto. What sounds better to you – 'handsome' or 'nice?'"

"Handsome, of course!" Naruto replied with a scowl. _What was she getting at anyway?_

"Okay, dummy… how about this one – 'pretty' or 'nice?'"

"What? What are you—oh..." He said with a deep blush. Glancing at Hinata, who was far more red than he was, he felt himself twiddling his index fingers together. Shikamaru snorted loudly, catching everyone's attention.

"Yeah. Great. Now that the last person in Konoha finally figured out that Hinata likes Naruto, can we just stop for a minute and pick my damn pants please?"

"I-I think the blue looks good, Shikamaru-kun," Hinata offered softly. Ino gave Hinata a happy grin and tossed a thumbs-up in Shikamaru's direction.

"See, Shikamaru? Two out of two beautiful women think your new pants look good."

"You mean one beautiful woman and one nosy nag," Shikamaru commented under his breath. Ino jumped up and started to throttle him with both hands. While that went on, Naruto was trying desperately to think of something to say, as he continued to twiddle his fingers together nervously. Here was the loudest ninja in all of Konoha, and he was tongue tied…it really was troublesome when you got right down to it. Hinata glanced at him with a wistful sigh.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," she said softly, "I understand that you don't feel the same way about me. I could never compete with someone like Sakura-san. In a way I'm kind of relieved you finally know. It hurts worse when the other person doesn't even know about your feelings. At least this way I can move on with--"

"M-move on, Hinata?" Naruto murmured thickly, "You mean you don't like me anymore?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Hinata exclaimed, "Right now it feels like I could never stop liking you… but it would be worse if I continued to bother you with my feelings…" she trailed off with another sigh, and looked at the floor. Naruto remained silent for a while collecting his thoughts while Ino finished putting Shikamaru in a submission hold. By the time the Chuunin with the IQ greater than 200 had tapped out, Naruto turned to face Hinata earnestly.

"Please don't get over me, Hinata," he said huskily, "It wouldn't be fair. I've only started to realize how I feel about you."

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said with a trembling lip. Naruto felt himself blush again, and he gave her his trademark grin before putting his arms around her in an unabashed hug. The fierceness with which she hugged him back almost caused him to choke up. Like her, he had grown up as a child starved for love and acceptance. Like her, against all odds, he had managed to develop into a thoroughly compassionate and forgiving human being.

"I'll be honest, Hinata," Naruto said softly, "I still have deep feelings for Sakura. She's the first girl I've ever felt something for…" Hinata pulled back and looked at him solemnly. He could see the resignation in her expression, but he also noticed something that made him happy. Jealousy. If Hinata could feel jealous, it meant she was willing to fight for him.

"But more and more, I've come to realize that the feelings I have for Sakura are the devotion and affection one has for a sibling. She's been my teammate since the beginning, and because of that, we have an undeniable connection…but that connection can go no further. With you…" Naruto swallowed hard, "With you Hinata, I feel… I see the potential of what can be… not what is… and what can be, seems limitless."

"Nauto-kun," Hinata whispered, "I want us to have a connection…"

"We already have one, Hinata," Naruto replied, grinning, "We both believed in each other when no one else did… as far as connections go, I can't think of anything more important…" He sighed softly, and looked at her… really looked at her for the first time. Here was someone he could not only like… here was someone he could love…

"There are things about me… about my life that you won't understand… and I need time to get them in order…so…" He stopped as the Hyuuga girl put her index finger on his lip.

"Take your time, Naruto-kun," she murmured, "I know your life is more complicated than you make it out to be. Just remember, you're not alone… I'll always be supporting you." Naruto stared at her for a moment, and gave a triumphant laugh.

"_You_, Hinata… are someone I could like…love…and marry!" His exclamation elicited a deep blush and a startled squeak from her, and outright stares from everyone else in the clothing shop. Ino let out a squeal of delight, which was counter-pointed by Shikamaru's tired groan.

"Now you have _got_ to buy her something, Naruto!" the blonde kunoichi exclaimed, "Let's go already! Shikamaru – hurry up and pay at the register!"

"You sure you want to spend more time with a female, Naruto?" Shikamaru commented glumly, "Sure, they may start out like Hinata over here, but before you know it…." He trailed off with a significant glance at Ino, who was haggling with the clerk about the price of his new pants. Naruto laughed derisively.

"Hinata is not going to end up like Ino! She's got too much kindness in her!"

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said reprovingly, which caused Shikamaru to snort.

"What'd I tell you? If you like it troublesome, be my guest, but don't say I didn't warn you." Naruto reached out for Hinata's hand and squeezed it tight.

"Uzumaki Naruto has not, is not, and will not, ever be afraid of trouble!"

"I-I think that is because you are the source of it, most of the time, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly, surprised at her own attempt at a joke. Naruto and Shikamaru stared at her for a moment, and she began to fidget nervously. Abruptly, Naruto burst out laughing, and slapped her on the back vigorously. Shikamaru shrugged to himself, and went back to the register, paying the clerk before Ino was thrown out by security. Regaining his composure, Naruto turned to look at Hinata, concern predominating his thoughts.

"Hinata… you're right about me. I am the source of a lot of trouble… I don't want you getting caught up in my problems… but I can't guarantee that you won't…"

"I've spent my whole life staying out of trouble, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied, "I'm ready for some 'troublesome' situations as long as it's with you." Naruto felt himself blushing yet again, and marveled at the undeniable stirring of emotions he felt when he looked at Hinata. Kakashi-sensei often said that shinobi needed to _Look beneath the beneath. _Naruto found yet another meaning for those words, and vowed to thank the silver-haired Jounin if he could ever pry his attention from those dirty books.

"Alright you two love-birds," Ino yelled from the exit, "It's time to get a move on! We've got at least six more stores I want to hit up. Shikamaru, go get Chouji and pick me up some green tea ice cream mochi!" Shikamaru nodded, giving her a weary salute, which caused her to laugh raucously and punch him lightly in the arm.

"I hope you've been enjoying today… I've never had um…. A um…"

"Date, Naruto-kun?" Hinata said happily, "Neither have I… but based on how this one is turning out… I want to have more."

"Of course, Hinata!" Naruto declared with a thumbs-up sign, "I'll take you on as many dates as necessary until we get it down perfect. I never give up once I've started something – it's my nin--"

"Your ninja way," Hinata said with a giggle, "It's my ninja way, too."

"If you two don't hurry up, I'll have Shikamaru shadow bind you in place and let Chouji carry you around," Ino shouted impatiently from outside. Naruto and Hinata grinned and joined hands before walking out. With his free hand, Naruto felt around for his frog wallet, and grinned as he felt its fullness. Somewhere out there was the perfect gift for Hinata… and Naruto intended to buy it.


	4. Let The Buyer Beware

"What do you think, Hinata?" Naruto asked anxiously. The shy girl had been in the changing room for nearly ten minutes, trying on a bathing suit Ino recommended he buy for her since summer was quickly approaching. Naruto didn't have a chance to see what it looked like, since they had run off to the fitting rooms before he could even inquire.

"I, I don't know about this… um… Naruto-kun… I think I should try something else… please Ino-san?"

"No way, Hinata!" Ino crowed as she continued to browse the swimwear section, "I think it's pefect, and Naruto will too! Now come out or I'm coming in. A nervous squeak answered her, and the door reluctantly opened. Naruto felt his eyes bugging out, and a serious nosebleed coming on. With her heavy jacket, Capri pants, and conservative ninja attire, it was clear that Hinata's figure had started developing to womanhood. Clad in a modest, but fully liberated two piece bathing suit, Hinata's body screamed for attention in ways that Sakura and Ino could only vocalize. Even Ino was stunned at how nicely Hinata filled out the white two-piece.

Feeling their eyes on her, Hinata looked as if she wanted to run back to the dressing room and lock the door. Bravely, she stood her ground, a full blush coloring her cheeks crimson. After a long moment, Naruto coughed nervously, and brought his eyes up from the ground, worked his way up her feet, slowing as they went up her legs and hips, and stumbling over her chest, and finally coming to a rest on her face.

"I, um… that's um… you look… uh, Hinata…"

"Can't find the words, Naruto?" Ino cackled delightedly, "Buy it now, and you get a ten percent discount… It's a good thing Shikamaru and Chouji went off to do their own shopping… I can't imagine what either of them would have said."

"Ino-san, can I please change now?" Hinata pleaded insistently, "I don't feel comfortable in this swimsuit…"

"Yeah, better go and change," Ino said with a glance at Naruto, "Your would-be boyfriend is having trouble keeping the drool off his shoes." Hinata smiled to herself when Ino called Naruto her boyfriend, but was brought up short when someone cleared her throat sharply. Hinata turned in the direction of the noise and gasped with surprise. Yuuhi Kurenai stood with arms akimbo, a stern expression on her face.

"Hyuuga Hinata, just what do you think you're doing posing for Naruto in that outfit?"

"No-no, it's not what it looks like, Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata half-exclaimed, half squeaked, "I was… we were… with Ino… shopping… summer… bathing suit…" she was stammering too much to be completely coherent, and Kurenai sighed to herself before pointing at the dressing room.

"Change first, then we will talk." Hinata practically scampered back into the fitting room, and Kurenai turned her crimson-eyed stare on Ino and Naruto. Ino gave her a weak smile, bowed politely and ran off – suddenly remembering she had some more shopping she wanted to take care of. Naruto had come out of his stupor the minute Kurenai had cleared her throat, and was now paralyzed by a combination of embarrassment and fear. The beautiful Jounin that was Hinata's instructor had always been polite to Naruto, but she was also fiercely protective of her female student in a way that bordered on motherly. He gulped visibly and braced himself for whatever it was she was going to dish out.

"So, Naruto," Kurenai began in a detached voice, "It's been a long time, hasn't it? Did you get back recently?"

"Uh, yeah," he answered lamely, "Just last week, actually."

"What have you been up to?" she said, sitting down next to him and making a show of taking out one of her kunais. His face turned ashen, and sweat began to pour down his face.

"Well, you know… training so I can--"

"So you can become Hokage someday – I know." She said frostily, "Just out of curiosity, Naruto, who have you apprenticed yourself to?"

"Oh," he said feeling more comfortable, "The old frog hermit, Jiraiya! He acts like an idiot, but he's actually one of the Sannin, a legendary ninja in his own right! He taught me all these cool--"

"I know Jiraiya-sama, Naruto," Kurenai interrupted again, her red eyes narrowing, "In your opinion, what kind of person is Jiraiya-sama?"

"That perverted hermit? He's nothing but a lecherous old man interested in peeping at girls and copping a feel!" Naruto declared with a frown, "Why, he's out on a peeping trip as we speak!"

"Indeed," Kurenai said softly, "And you say you've spent the last two years with Jiraiya-sama, learning everything you can from him?"

"Yeah, he's taught me just about everything he knows! He says I'm his successor--" Naruto trailed off as he realized what Kurenai was implying. He blanched and raised both hands in front of him, waving them in denial.

"No, no! It's not like that Kurenai-sensei! I learned jutsus from the old pervert – not peeping! I don't do that kind of stuff! Ask him! I always ditch him when he goes to the bath house next to the yakiniku restaurant!" Kurenai's eyes widened with shock and she grabbed him by the collar angrily.

"Are you talking about Yano's Outdoor Bath!"

"Uh, yeah…" Naruto said nervously, "Why?"

"Ugh! That bastard!" she growled, "We'll have to find a new place to meet on our days off!"

"Kurenai-sensei, you mean you--"

"Naruto, if I was you, I'd stop talking for a moment." The blonde shinobi shut his mouth quickly, allowing the Jounin to get her temper under control. Sighing again, Kurenai clenched and unclenched her hands.

"Okay, I'll be honest with you, Naruto," Kurenai said slowly, "Hinata has had a crush on you for as long as I can remember. She's extremely shy, and you're extremely dense, so you probably weren't aware of it for a long time." She began to play with her kunai, twirling it in her hands idly, "She's the most kind hearted person I know, and that's despite all she's gone through. She's also extremely precious to me," Kurenai finished the sentence with a pointed glare at Naruto.

"Did she ever tell you what happened to the two Hidden Grass Chuunins that tried to rape her on one of our missions?" Naruto's eyes flashed with anger, and he tried to stand, but was restrained by Kurenai's iron grip.

"They _what_? I'll kill them!" he snarled. Kurenai stared at him until he settled down and she gave him a grim smile.

"Admirable sentiments, Naruto, but unnecessary – I've already taken care of them. You'd be surprised how long someone can scream before they die." Naruto's eyes widened at the cold menace obvious in Kurenai's eyes. She leaned forward, the tip of her kunai grazing his neck.

"If you take advantage of her in any way," she whispered, "I'll make sure you suffer. Is that clear?" Naruto returned her stare with a glare of his own.

"I would never do that. Not to Hinata, not to anyone. Is _that_ clear?" Kurenai's expression softened, and she gave him a soft smile before ruffling his hair and standing up.

"I know," she said calmly, "Your Kakashi said as much." Naruto grinned at the mentioning of his old teacher. "Tell Hinata I'll see her at practice tomorrow, hopefully in something more appropriate for shinobi work." The Jounin turned and walked out of the store, careful to hide her grin from Naruto. _Before the day was over, Kakashi, Asuma, Gai, Iruka, and of course Tsunade would hear about this…_

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata inquired after she had walked out of the fitting room, an apprehensive expression on her face. The ninja in the orange jump-suit waved at her with a grin.

"Kurenai-sensei said that she'll see you at practice tomorrow. So, you want me to buy that for you?" he asked, grinning as he pointed at the crumpled bathing suit pieces in Hinata's hands. The Hyuuga girl blushed, and after a moment's hesitation, she nodded. Naruto's eyes widened with shock and he took the two-piece with trembling hands to the clerk to be rung up. _Summer better get here soon. _Naruto thought to himself with a blush.

"Before Ino gets back to boss us around, I think I know a shop I want us to visit," he said, handing her the small brown package containing the bathing suit, "Let's check it out!" Grabbing Hinata's hand, he led her out of the store all smiles.

The shop in question was a small jewelry store Naruto frequently passed on his way to the ninja supply shop at the end of the main shopping strip. For years, he watched couples young and old walk in and out of the small store, longing to know the feeling of buying something precious for a special person. He grinned with barely contained excitement as he introduced Hinata to the old woman working behind the glass display counters. The jeweler was in her late sixties, wore too much make-up and had bright orange hair that was clearly dyed. Seeing Naruto's bulging wallet, her face lit up with the fire of an imminent sale.

"So…" she said in an oily voice, "What are you two interested in? We have a wide variety of engagement rings limited only by the love in your hearts…" She grinned, knowing that line never failed to give her an edge. Instead, Hinata and Naruto started laughing.

"How much do you love me, Hinata?" Naruto asked between his chuckles.

"A-actually, not that much, Naruto-kun," Hinata said breathlessly, "I think we came to the wrong store… the Recycling Center was two blocks back." That set them off again, which darkened the lady's mood considerably.

"Look," she snarled, "Either you came here to buy something or you didn't, so how about making a purchase or leaving?"

"So they're not allowed to browse?" an indignant voice demanded from behind the couple. Sakura. Her anger was palpable, and Naruto gave her a grateful smile. She winked at Hinata, and stalked forward towards the agitated jeweler.

"Miss Haruno," the older woman said with a nervous glance in her direction, "What brings you here?"

"Tsunade-sama sent me here to pick up her order, but I think she'd be more interested to learn how you treat your customers."

"No, no… It was a mistake… I think you misheard me… I was merely offering to show them a different set of jewelry more suited to the young lady's tastes…" The jeweler's make-up started to run as she began to sweat profusely. Her explanation was ridiculously desperate and everyone knew it. Sakura gave her a predatory smile.

"That's fantastic! And be sure to give them the discount you worked out with Tsunade-sama."

"But--"

Sakura's green eyes flashed, cowing the older woman, who reluctantly nodded. She went to the back to pick up Tsunade's order, leaving Sakura standing next to Naruto and Hinata. Grinning, she punched Naruto's arm in what she assumed was a playful fashion. She rolled her eyes when he fell to the ground, rubbing the gigantic bruise she had just given him.

"Hinata," she said to the other girl, "Naruto's damn lucky to have you on a date… but I can't say the same for you… are you sure you really want to go out with this blonde idiot? Blondes are notoriously stupid… remember Ino?" Hinata giggled as Naruto fumed to himself.

"I'm sure, Sakura-san. Naruto may be an idiot…but I want him to be my idiot." Sakura's eyes lit up and she gave the other a hug. Naruto wasn't sure if he should be flattered or insulted. With a shrug, he started to browse the various jewelry sections while the two girls continued to chat. Eventually, the old lady came out again, carrying a small white package. Sakura gave her several gold coins, and hefted the package. The woman kept glancing at her like she expected her to leave. Sakura stood her ground, giving the woman a slow smirk.

"Naruto-kun, did you find what you were looking for?" Hinata asked softly when she noticed Naruto staring intently at a small section of the display cases. He nodded vigorously, and the lady moved over to unlock the display case. He gestured at two small pendants lying in completely separate areas of the display. One was gold and had black lettering etched on it. The other was silver, with the same black etching. When held together, the two formed a complete heart. The silver one said 'Hina' and the gold one said 'Naru.'

"Naruto," Sakura said with a wrinkled nose, "That's soooo corny."

"I… love it," Hinata said with a catch in her breath. Naruto gingerly slipped the gold pendant around Hinata's neck, choosing the silver one for himself.

"Now we can still 'hang out' with each other even when we're on missions!" Naruto said with a foxy grin, "Get it? 'Hang out?'" Hinata sighed softly, smiling despite herself.

"Gah, you're such an idiot, Naruto," Sakura said with a scowl. Naruto gave her a scowl of his own.

"You're just bitter because you chased Sasuke from Konoha and into the arms of Orochimaru!"

"What? You take that back!" she shrieked, cocking her fist back for a monstrous blow. Naruto ducked, but lost his footing and fell forward. Flailing wildly as he fell, he steadied himself on the first thing within arm's reach… Sakura's chest. A pregnant silence descended upon the store.

"Pads?" Naruto asked, squeezing his hand curiously, "Sakura, did you stuff your bra?" That tore it. With a demonic scream of fury, Sakura gathered chakra into her left hand and took another swing at Naruto. Knowing it was time for a retreat, Naruto dodged again, grabbed Hinata's wrist and yanked her out of the shop. Sakura followed behind, a burning green fire in her eyes. Close behind her, the jeweler was shrieking for Naruto to pay for the two pendants. Naruto glanced behind quickly. _Not good._


	5. Go Go Climactic Chase!

Author's Note: The chase scene in this chapter was inspired by the song 'Go Go Naruto' from the first Naruto OST.

"C'mon, Hinata! We gotta move!"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said in a worried voice, "I think you should stop and pay the jeweler. She looks very upset."

"Are you kidding me? Not while Sakura's eyes look _that_ scary! I'll pay the old hag when it's safe!"

"But Naruto-kun--" Hinata was cut off as several kunai whizzed over their heads, bouncing off a nearby telephone pole. At least they were blunted… The look on Sakura's face however, did not speak of mercy. Hinata gulped loudly and hurried to catch up with Naruto.

"I know a few short-cuts!" he said with a grin, "Make sure you keep up with me now!" Hinata replied with a grin of her own. Trouble certainly did seem to have a way of following Naruto wherever he went. They both put chakra in their feet and ran up the side of a telephone pole, running along the telephone lines with ease. Not content to throw kunai at him, Sakura gathered her strength into her arms and knocked down the pole with vicious force. The ground cracked and split apart as the large pole was uprooted and fell on its side, smashing into Yano's Open Bath and collapsing a wall. Hot water spilled out, dumping many women in various states of undress on to the main road. The water also knocked over a shrubbery that hid a certain Frog Hermit in the process of peeking at said women. Naruto and Hinata were flung from the collapsing telephone lines and landed smack dab on top of Jiraiya, who broke their fall for them.

"Naruto, you damned idiot!" Jiraiya bellowed, "What the hell do you think you're doing? I told you not to interrupt my intelligence gathering!"

"Save it for later, ya old pervert!" Naruto replied as he and Hinata picked themselves up, "Right now you have bigger problems to deal with." Gesturing at the angry mob of women who were making their way towards Jiraiya, Naruto pulled Hinata away and they took off at a dead run, followed closely by Sakura, the old jeweler, and the owner of Yano Open Bath. Jiraiya howled with frustration, and took off after his pupil, several dozen enraged women in tow.

"Wow," Naruto commented excitedly, "It looks like half of Konoha is after us! Man, this takes me back to the days before I was a Genin!"

" 'Us,' Naruto-kun?" Hinata commented wryly.

"Okay, just me!" Naruto replied with smirk, "Makes you wonder who else we could possibly piss off…"

"Iruka-sensei!" Hinata cried out.

"Iruka-sensei? Yeah, it's been a while since I played a good prank on him," Naruto commented as they ducked under another barrage of kunai from Sakura.

"No! I mean it's Iruka-sensei!" Hinata cried out, pointing ahead of them.

Iruka was a 'nice guy' as many of the women in the village were apt to call him, but he just wasn't 'dating material.' Despite his relative good looks, his measly salary as a teacher at the academy, combined with his shyness around members of the opposite sex meant he often spent his days off by himself. Today was different though! He smiled at his date as they walked out of the Konoha Bistro, a well-known, upscale restaurant famous for its ambience as well as its high price.

Iruka still couldn't believe his good fortune. He had asked Shizune for a date on a whim when he ran into her at the hospital, checking on one of his students who was recently inured during the Chuunin exams. To his utter surprise, she started to blush and nodded enthusiastically. Two paychecks later, and he was finally able to take her out for a wonderful 'day on the town.' 'Day on the town' because Shizune had rounds at the hospital that evening, and Iruka had to teach class the next day.

"I still don't see why you wouldn't let me pay for my meal, Iruka-kun," Shizune commented with a mirthful smile. Iruka shook his head emphatically.

"I could never let you pay for your share on our first date, Shizune-san! It's not proper!"

"Even when I make four times your salary?" Shizune commented with a twinkle in her eye. Iruka laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"_Four_ times, huh? You know if they're still hiring at the hospital? We could trade places if you like."

"Not on your life," Shizune replied, "I already met your star pupil, and if there are actually more than one like him in a single class, it's a wonder they don't have ANBU doing your job."

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled out. Shizune nodded.

"Yeah, he's quite a handful. I'm surprised you don't have more gray hair in that top-knot of yours."

"No, I mean it's Naruto!" Iruka yelled, pointing at the swiftly approaching ninja in the orange and blackjumpsuit, "And isn't that Hinata-chan running alongside him? What in the world are they--"

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted, "Heads-up!" The blonde shinobi ran past them at break-neck speed, dodging a random assortment of kunai, rocks, bottles, and shoes as he went. Not noticing the large puddle of mud, he run directly into it, splashing mud all over Iruka and Shizune.

"Uh-oh… Sorry about that Shizune-neesan," he said with an apologetic wave. Hinata tried to bow, but ended up stumbling as she ran backwards, flying into the air. Naruto swore, and slowed down long enough to catch her in his arms. Despite her blushing protests, he put her up on his shoulders and continued to run.

"Naruto!" Iruka and Shizune both bellowed as they took off in hot pursuit.

"Hang on Hinata," Naruto shouted, "Things are about to get a little more troublesome!"

"Naruto-kun! Move to your left!" Hinata shouted in a voice that didn't invite disagreement. Naruto altered his course accordingly just in the nick of time, as a bench flew through the path he was just running. Sakura's strength was becoming frighteningly similar to Tsunade's.

"Right! Right!" A small potted tree whizzed by. Hinata continued shouting directions as more random objects became projectile weapons of lethal potency.

"Hinata! How are you doing that?"

"I'm a Hyuuga, remember?" she said with a grin.

"I think this could be the start of a beautiful relationship!" Naruto crowed with delight.

"Think again, Naruto-kun – this is the last time I'll help you with your mischief!"

"Mischief? I'm a victim of circumstance! You saw it--"

"Left! Left!"

"Neji! That was a beautiful match!" Lee cried out with a fist pump! "Your genjutsu was simply amazing! I must now do three thousand high kicks as penance for losing the match." Neji sighed to himself. It had been a long two hour match…An hour and fifty-five minutes of which had been spent waiting for Lee to come to grips with the fact that he was unable to use genjutsu. Neji was extremely hungry, but the money he had was given to Hinata for her date with Naruto. In the spirit of brotherly camaraderie, Lee offered to buy his eternal rival lunch at Ichiraku Ramen.

"Lee, next time we have a match, I think you should let Ten Ten decide what form of competition we'll have."

"Oooh! Neji, that's very clever of you, but Ten Ten is hardly a neutral party! She clearly favors you in ways that are indecent for teammates."

"Nonsense," Neji scoffed, feeling himself start to sweat, "She's a good training partner, that's all. We don't have _that_ kind of relationship." Lee laughed heartily and slapped Neji on the back.

"I thought you were a genius, Neji! How can you be so oblivious? Aren't Jounin supposed to be experts at spotting the subtle and hidden?"

"Lee! Neji's youthful zest for life has clearly blinded him to the feelings of the opposite sex!" A deep and powerful voice bellowed from atop a roof. Neji would have cringed if he was made of less stern stuff… but he was a Hyuuga. Hyuuga's didn't cringe.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee cried out happily. The tall, green spandex wearing Jounin gave a hearty laugh and leapt from the rooftop, landing in front of his two former students with a big, earth shaking crash. Dusting himself off, he gave them a sparkling smile and a thumbs-up.

"Lee! Despite your admirable goal of besting Neji in combat, you must also never forget that he is your precious teammate, and must be guided in the ways of life beyond that of a mere shinobi!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted, "I will help Neji find his true feelings for our Ten Ten!"

"Excellent, Lee!" Gai shouted, "You are truly blossoming into a splendid young man!" Neji's brow furrowed with irritation.

"Alright, listen you two--" He was all set to tear into them both, but was interrupted as a bench flew into view and sailed right at them.

"Kaiten!" he shouted, letting chakra out of his body in every direction. The bench slammed into his bloodline limit shield and splintered into a hundred different pieces.

"What on earth?" Neji exclaimed.

"Neji!"

"Neji-niisan!"

Neji did a double take as he saw Naruto dashing towards them, being pursued by an angry mob that must have numbered in the hundreds. He also noticed his cousin sitting astride the blonde ninja's shoulders. This did not bode well.

"Naruto! What are you doing with Hinata-sama!"

"No time to talk, Neji!" Naruto yelled as he zipped by, "I heard what Gai and Lee were yelling! When you get the chance, you can take Ten Ten to one of these!" The young ninja threw a pamphlet in Neji's face. Taking it off with a growl, Neji glanced at it. It was a brochure advertising one of Konoha's more prominent 'love hotels.'

"Oh! Naruto is such a considerate comrade!" Lee said with a grin, "But remember Neji, don't take things too fast, or you could ruin a beautiful friendship!" Neji glared at his teammate, unsure whether he was being sarcastic or sincere. With that maddening smile of his, it was hard to tell.

"Tell her to be gentle!" Naruto crowed as a parting shot.

"Dammit, Naruto! That's it!" Neji shoved Lee aside and took off after them, joining the throng of enraged villagers, shinobi, and for some reason, household pets.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata shouted, "I think this may be getting out of hand!"

"You're telling me," Naruto replied as another kunai just barely missed his head. Hinata had begun to use her Gentle Fist technique to deflect some of the incoming missiles, but the sheer volume of projectiles was quickly overwhelming her. Naruto formed some hand seals, and an army of clones burst into existence. They converged on the angry mob, in an attempt to slow them down, but were quickly destroyed by the power of Sakura, Jiraiya, Neji, Shizune, and Iruka. Wincing, Naruto looked up at Hinata.

"Any ideas, dear?" Hinata blushed something awful despite the gravity of their situation, and began to twiddle or index fingers when she heard him call her 'dear.'

"Um… I think our problems are going to be solved one way or another, Naruto-kun."

"Whaddya mean?" She pointed ahead. Standing directly in front of them, Tsunade was flanked by Asuma, Kurenai, and an entourage of ANBU. The fifth Hokage slammed her index finger down on the dirt causing a miniature earthquake to split the ground. Naruto, Hinata, and everyone behind them fell to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs.

"What," she drawled very slowly, "Is going on!"

The storm of angry accusations and counter-accusations culminated with an overwhelming number of fingers pointed at Naruto. Tsunade sighed as she rubbed her head. Jiraiya was about to sneak off when Tsunade appeared with lightning quick speed behind him, and punched him into the ground.

"Jiraiya! You'll pay for the damage done to the bathhouse." When the white haired hermit started to growl a complaint, she gave him merciless glare.

"The alternative is we shut it down for good." Jiraiya's mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water, gasping for breath. Abruptly he clamped it shut and begrudgingly walked over to the owner, handing over a substantial number of his gold coins. As a highly successful author of the 'Come Come Paradise' series, he required a constant source of inspiration. Without Konoha's main bathhouse, and its abundant selection of young women to spy on, Jiraiya knew he would have to kiss his lucrative writing career goodbye.

"We'll speak later, brat," he barked at Naruto, before stalking off. The cacophony of angry voices continued to pick up and there was a palpable atmosphere of anger and fear emanating from the gathered villagers. Unlike Iruka and the other shinobi, there was actual murderous intent coming from the villagers. Sakura, who only moments ago had been tearing up most of the shopping district to land a solid blow on Naruto, immediately leapt in between him and the angry crowd.

"Back off," she growled, "Naruto is my teammate. He's an idiot beyond compare, but you won't harm him." Iruka, Shizune, and Neji walked up and added their support as well.

"Sakura is right," Neji said calmly, "Naruto's punishment shall be decided by the Hokage, so you may return to your homes." The crowd continued to advance upon Naruto, heedless of their warnings. Suddenly, a gargantuan red frog armed with a short sword and clad in a yakuza hapi coat sprang into existence with an explosion of white smoke. Gamabunta the Frog Boss glared at the gathered villagers with a disdainful snort. His snort alone was enough to drive most of the villagers back to where they had come from.

"Come then, you impudent fools!" Jiraiya taunted atop Gamabunta's back, "Try and take my number one apprentice from me if you dare!"

"Dammit, you old pervert!" Naruto hollered, "I'm your _only_ apprentice!"

"Shut-up, brat! You're ruining the mood!" Jiraiya replied with a grin. Tsunade covered her face with both hands, exasperation evident in her stance.

"Alright, that's enough." She said with a menacing glare at everyone, "You will all go back to your homes, now. I will speak with Naruto myself. The ANBU will escort those of you that require assistance." She emphasized the word 'assistance' with a cold stare that had the remaining villagers departing swiftly. Gamabunta disappeared in another explosion of smoke, and Jiraiya took off again, his wooden getta clacking as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

"Sakura-chan, Neji, thanks for your help back there. I really--" Naruto was cut off as Sakura delivered a monumental blow to his face that sent him sliding through the dirt. She picked him up and began to throttle him before Neji and Iruka managed to pull her off.

"You stupid jerk!" she shouted, "Why do you always cause so much trouble!"

"Me!" he yelled with indignation, "You're the one that was pulling up telephone poles and park benches back there!" Tsunade's eyes narrowed, and Sakura suddenly looked very sheepish.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said, breaking the tense silence, "I think you owe everyone an apology for your behavior." Naruto's eyes widened and he gave her a 'puppy dog' look.

"Not you too, Hinata!"

"Naruto-kun…"

"Fine! Alright! I'm sorry everyone," he said with a jutting lower lip. Hinata put her hand on his back, and his expression softened. "I mean it…" he said softly, "I really appreciate what you did for me back there."

"Naruto," Neji said slowly, "You are truly an outstanding person, and I value our friendship… however, if you ever suggest I take Ten Ten to a 'love hotel' again, I cannot be held responsible for the consequences."

"Alright, alright," Tsunade said, attempting to keep her smile from showing, "Everyone needs to leave except for Naruto. He and I need to have a discussion." Kurenai gave Hinata a wink, and walked off with Asuma and the ANBU. Iruka and Shizune both gave Naruto a slap on the back of the head before they took off, in search of some new clothes. Sakura gave Naruto an expression that was part apology, part righteous indignation. Naruto gave her a smile and an arm squeeze in return, and suddenly, they were both all grins again as she walked off towards the hospital.

"Hinata-sama," Neji said softly to the dark haired girl, leaning against Naruto, "I'm sorry, but we have to head back. Your father was expecting us at least twenty minutes ago." She nodded sadly, and turned to look at Naruto.

"I'm sorry our date had to end this way," Naruto said softly, the regret in his voice obvious, "I always manage to mess up a good thing."

"You're learning, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a giggle, "Besides, I've never had so much fun in all my life. Just be sure to take me somewhere quiet for our next date." Before she ran out of courage, she gave him a quick hug and took off with Neji, cradling the golden pendant in her hand. Naruto watched her go with a look in his eyes that reminded Tsunade of her relationship with Dan, the Jounin that was to be the one and only love of her life.

"Alright, brat," she said softly as she cracked her knuckles, "Let's you and I have a chat."

Naruto gulped loudly and prepared himself for the worst. _This has troublesome written all over it…_


	6. Ramen Wrap Up

"So are you going to tell us what happened, or do you plan on sitting there all night?" Shikamaru groused from across the table. Naruto sat between Sakura and Hinata, nursing a bowl of ramen, while the other members of the original Rookie Nine, plus Neji, Lee and Ten Ten waited expectantly for him to say his piece. They had all gathered for dinner at Ichiraku Ramen, after Naruto was released from the Hokage's office, and despite their best efforts, Naruto kept the long discussion he had with Tsunade under wraps.

Now, he had finally started to slow down on his seventh bowl of ramen, and their curiosity was beginning to overwhelm their manners. Kiba snorted loudly and slammed his fist on the table, causing the lantern to almost topple over, were it not for Shino's quick intervention.

"First you go and steal our teammate from us right under our noses, then you go and destroy half of Konoha on your first date! Now you don't even have the decency to let us know how you're being punished? What kind of man are you? Not the kind of man Hinata should be going out with, eh Akamaru?" The little canine lying on Kiba's shoulder gave him a bark that sounded reproachful, which caused Kiba to frown and curse under his breath. Shino set the lantern back upright and gave his teammate a stare through his opaque sunglasses.

"Kiba, Hinata went out on a date with Naruto of her own free will. And the destruction caused today took more than one person… of that, I am sure." Sakura choked on her water, coughed and sputtered for a while, and then began to blush deeply. Naruto began to laugh at her, but was stopped by a jaundiced look from Hinata, who shook her head.

"Kiba-kun," Hinata said with a gentle smile, "I appreciate your concern for me, but Shino-kun is right – I really did want this date to happen. You knew it… Shino-kun knew it… I think everybody here knew it." This caused an uproar of raucous laughter from the gathered shinobi as they all started to express their thoughts on the matter.

"Everybody knew it but the blonde moron!" Ino said with a grin.

"Ino, don't talk about yourself like that," Sakura threw in with an innocent smile, "We all know you're mentally challenged – it doesn't help to advertise the fact."

"What did you say, Forehead Girl!"

"You heard me, Ino Pig!"

"Anyway," Neji said smoothly, interrupting the escalating hostilities, "Naruto's intentions were without malice, however, the events that eventually followed led to considerable damage. Naruto, you may not have noticed, but we are all quite curious as to what the Hokage-sama's decision was with regards to your current situation."

"Hmmph," Naruto snorted, putting his chopsticks down and pushing his bowl back, "You guys are being really irritating, you know that? What business is it of yours, anyway? It's between me and the Old Lady, isn't it?"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said evenly, "Everyone here supported you in one way or another when you needed it. Some of them even stood up for you today when the villagers were behaving unreasonably." Sakura smiled at Hinata gratefully when she mentioned that.

"Oooh! Hinata-san speaks truly, Naruto-kun!" Lee exclaimed with great vehemence, "Whatever your punishment may be, I - Rock Lee – stand ready to support you! As do the other members of my team!" Getting up to strike a pose, he knocked over his water, spilling it all over Neji and Ten Ten.

"Geez, Lee," Ten Ten commented angrily, "Speak for _yourself_ for once. I don't recall pledging to share in the burden of Naruto's punishment. If anyone should be volunteering to share in the blame, it's our Hyuuga genius Jounin over here." She tossed a wicked smile at Neji, who began to sputter with indignation.

"I-I only did what I had to because--" he trailed off, flushing slightly despite his best efforts. This piqued the interest of Ten Ten, who was unfamiliar with the concept of her normally unflappable teammate becoming flustered.

"Because 'why,' Neji?" she prodded eagerly. When the Hyuuga Jounin refused to answer, she turned a gimlet stare on Lee. The Chuunin in green spandex smiled eagerly and gestured proudly at their brooding teammate.

"Ten Ten!" Lee shouted with enthusiasm, "You should be flattered! Neji did his best to defend the transient glory of your youthful purity!" Ten Ten frowned with confusion.

"What?"

"Dammit, Lee!" Neji snarled, trying to bring him down with a Gentle Fist blow, but the Taijutsu user was too fast, dodging out of the way with ease and executing a back flip that brought him behind Ten Ten.

"He defended your honor, Ten Ten! Naruto suggested Neji take you to a 'love hotel' and Neji attempted to punish him for besmirching your good name!"

"Lee, shut-up!" Neji shouted. Sakura and Ino began to hoot with amusement, their rivalry forgotten for the moment as they began to harass a blushing Ten Ten. Hinata tired unsuccessfully to stifle a giggle, while Naruto gave Neji a big, foxy grin. Kiba was about to make a raunchy joke, but his mouth was muffled by a hand that belonged to Shino.

"So troublesome," Shikamaru commented, "Why did we come again?"

"Because your mother had arranged a blind date for you tonight," Chouji replied, oblivious to the rhetorical nature of the question as he continued to inhale a platter full of gyoza. Shikamaru sighed, and took a sip of green tea.

"That was… very nice of you Neji….._kun_," Ten Ten said softly, eliciting squeals from Ino and Sakura, "I'm glad you were willing to defend my honor." Neji grunted indistinctly, turning an even brighter shade of scarlet. Ten Ten smiled at him, but he was unable to meet her eyes. It seemed this was as far as they would get tonight. Sighing to herself contentedly, the weapons master turned to give Lee an angry glare.

"So what about it, Lee? Only Neji thinks my honor is worth defending! Do you think I'm the kind of person that frequents 'love hotels?' Is that why you didn't try to 'punish' Naruto for 'besmirching my good name?' Huh?" she finished by grabbing the stunned Chuunin by his flak jacket and shaking him for all he was worth.

"No, no! You misunderstand, Ten Ten!" Lee begged, "I believe your honor is worthy of defense, but who better to defend it than Neji, right?"

"No excuses!" she shouted back, increasing the vigor of her shaking. Lee's eyeballs looked as if they were about to pop out, and when Ten Ten released him, he collapsed in a heap, groaning with dizziness. Kiba cheered and clapped along with Ino and Sakura, while Naruto winced with sympathy. He'd been on the receiving end of some pretty vicious man handling by Sakura.

"So, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly, "Are you going to tell them or should I?" Naruto winced, and shook his head.

"Alright, alright! Jeez… Hinata, you're becoming real bossy."

"What did I tell you?" Shikamaru put in testily, "You give them an inch and they take a damn leg."

"Oh quit your whining," Ino replied sharply, "You're like a fussy old man complaining about his wife! No one forced you to go out with Temari… crybaby!"

"Ahem," Shino said rather loudly, which had everyone staring, "I believe Naruto had something to say."

"Uh… yeah, thanks Shino," Naruto said slowly, trying to overcome his shock at the other's sudden eloquence, "The Old Lady put me on probation for the next three months. That means I'm only allowed to do D-rank missions…you know… all the stupid 'garden weeding' and 'dog walking' stuff."

"I've got a bathroom that needs cleaning!" Sakura piped up.

"Our lawn definitely needs some mowing," Ino added.

"Akamaru left you a whole bunch of surprises in our backyard," Kiba crowed with delight. The list of menial tasks everyone had for him continued for quite some time before Naruto was able to reassert his control over the conversation.

"You're all hilarious," he said with a scowl, "Can I continue?"

"Only after you've given Neji a haircut," Ten Ten put in gleefully, "He's been putting it off for about 13 years!" This elicited a laughter from the gathered ninja, and a soft growl from Neji, who regarded his teammate with a sardonic smile.

"Keep teasing the hair, mouse girl," he retorted, prodding one of the buns in her hair. Ten Ten started to blush, and shot him a scathing look.

"Do not be fooled, Neji!" Lee yelled as he picked himself off the ground, "I know for a fact that Ten Ten has referred to your hair as 'a sexy, silken mane, which she would like nothing more than to run her fingers through.'"

"Dammit, Lee!" Neji and Ten Ten both shouted at the same time, "Shut-up!"

"Ahh, the spring season of youthful romance is a beautiful time indeed," Lee commented with a dreamy expression, "To think, just a few years ago Neji said Ten Ten's haircut resembled a species of field rodent, and Ten Ten said she thought Neji was girl the first time she met him."

Shikamaru sighed again, and began to rub his eyes with his thumb and index finger. Neji and Ten Ten were glaring at each other heatedly, while Lee looked on with a blissful grin.

"Lovers' spat," Ino commented softly. Sakura giggled loudly, while Hinata and Naruto exchanged weary glances. An awkward silence descended upon the table until Sakura nudged Naruto with her elbow.

"It's probably old news to Hinata, but what else did Tsunade-sama say?"

"Huh? Oh, not much," Naruto replied nonchalantly, "I had to pay the old jeweler in full for the stuff we 'shoplifted.'" Hinata cleared her throat, which caused Naruto to grin before he turned and poked her in the side. She squeaked with surprise.

"Oh no, it wasn't just my fault this time, Hinata! You ran away with me. That makes you an accomplice to the crime."

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed with exasperation, "I didn't have much of a choice… and you said…"

"Well, it's okay Hinata," Naruto replied with an innocent smile, "Since it was your first offense, the Old Lady decided to let you off with a warning." Hinata frowned and crossed her arms with indignation. Sakura started to laugh, but was cut off when Naruto waggled his finger at her.

"By the way, Sakura… Granny Tsunade knows all those trees and park benches weren't my doing. You and I have a date with the Konoha Maintenance Bureau tomorrow. I'd bring a hard hat and lunch if I were you." Sakura groaned miserably and lay her head against the table. Ino started to snicker, and commented that Sakura would have to buy an extra large safety helmet to accommodate her extra wide forehead. Hinata glanced at Naruto nervously.

"D-date, Naruto-kun?"

"Uh… No, no! I didn't mean it like that," Naruto reassured her with a hasty shake of his head, "C'mon, Hinata! Have a little faith in me!"

"Every day, Naruto-kun…" Hinata replied with a grin. Naruto flushed and everyone started to laugh again. "There was one more thing, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a wry smile. The blonde shinobi sighed and muttered something that sounded very similar to 'troublesome.' Hinata pinched him on the arm, and he sat up straighter.

"Granny Tsunade also said that every time I'm back from missions or training, I have to be accompanied by a chaperone…"

"Whoa!" Kiba commented with a shake of his head, "Being responsible for Naruto! That sounds like an A-rank mission for sure!"

"Has Jiraiya-sama been given that job as well?" Shino inquired thoughtfully, "He is one of the legendary Sannin, after all…"

"Perhaps Kakashi?" Neji commented with upraised eyebrows.

"Gai-sensei! It has to be Gai-sensei!" Lee burst out decisively, "Only a Jounin with Gai-sensei's chique sense of style, and compassionate enthusiasm for youth could handle a case like Naruto!"

"No, no, and hell no!" Naruto shouted emphatically, "None of those idiots are worth anything beyond life and death situations!" The gathered shinobi nodded their heads with agreement.

"Then who could have been given something so ridiculously stressful?" Ten Ten asked with an exasperated sigh, "I can't imagine any normal human being charged with this task." Naruto's nostrils flared and he looked ready to say something, when Hinata cleared her throat loudly.

"Ahem. I-I'm Naruto-kun's chaperone…" There was a collective gasp of surprise mingled with horror. Most of the horror originated from Sakura and Neji.

"Hinata-sama! Why would you agree to this! Do you know how difficult--"

"Hinata! Don't do it! You've got your whole life ahead of you!"

"Oooh! Hinata-san, you're such a good person! Naruto-kun is so lucky to have someone as compassionate as Gai-sensei!" Lee's comment was met with laughter and more comments. Finally, Naruto stood up and slammed a fist on the table, silencing everyone momentarily. Grinning fiercely, he pointed at Hinata.

"I think Hinata's perfect for the job! There's no one here with a clearer sense of right and wrong!"

"Or greater patience," Shikamaru muttered quietly. Naruto threw the Chuunin a dirty glare before continuing.

"In fact, I, Uzumaki Naruto insisted that she be my chaperone! Does anyone have a problem with that!" He snarled with a look that dared anyone to challenge him. His declaration was met with cheers and applause. When the applause started to die down, Hinata cleared her throat again.

"Actually Naruto-kun," she said softly, "There was one more thing Tsunade-sama wanted you to do, was there not?" Naruto groaned a martyr's groan and hung his head.

"I can do that tomorrow," he groused petulantly.

"No, I believe Tsunade-sama insisted you do it by tonight."

"Gah! You're worse than Iruka-sensei!"

"Naruto-kun!" It was the loudest anyone heard Hinata speak, and everyone there was loving every minute of it. Neji gave his cousin a proud smile, while Ino, Sakura and Ten Ten flashed her thumbs-up. Naruto rolled his eyes and turned to face Sakura. The pink haired kunoichi regarded him suspiciously.

"Sakura," he said mischievously, "I shouldn't have made a comment about your breasts today. It was wrong of me, and I am a bad person for doing so. Your body is developing at it's own pace, and for me to judge your body when I cannot know what you're going through is mmpphh--" He was stopped as a fiercely blushing Sakura shoved her hands over his mouth.

"Geez, Naruto!" she hissed, "A simple, 'I'm sorry' would have been fine!"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said in a reproachful voice.

"Alright… I'm sorry, okay?" he replied with an impish grin, "Sheesh, I was only doing what you told me to do, Hinata."

"It's not too late, you know," Ten Ten commented sympathetically, "We can talk to Tsunade-sama for you, and save you the trouble." Hinata considered the other girl's words for a moment, then gave everyone the biggest smile they had ever seen on her. She took out her golden pendant, and grasped Naruto's hand tightly. Naruto followed her lead and took out his corresponding silver pendant.

"Hyuuga Hinata," she said proudly, "Will no longer ever be afraid of trouble!"


	7. Early Morning Epilogue

Naruto made his way to the top of the Hokage monument stealthily. It was nearly sunrise, and aside from a few ANBU manning the gates, everyone in Konoha was still fast asleep. The chill of the early morning caused his breath to come in steady puffs of vapor. Smiling to himself, he unzipped his flak jacket, and pulled out his silver pendant.

"You're late," a playful voice commented to his left. Turning with a grin, Naruto regarded his girlfriend with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Sheesh, honey… I've been on time for the last five years… you think you could cut me some slack?"

"If I did that, you would be in all kinds of trouble. I happen to take my job as your chaperone very seriously." Hinata reached into her dark blue robes and pulled out her golden pendant. Laughing softly, she stood up and walked over to meet him. He pulled her into a tight embrace and relished the warmth of her breath against his neck. They had both grown in the last five years, but Naruto's growth spurt was far more dramatic. The top of Hinata's head only reached his chin now.

"What took you so long anyway?" she asked softly.

"Well excuse me," he replied wryly, "Taking out the last three surviving members of Akatsuki shouldn't have taken more than four days? Even for Special Jounin Uzumaki Naruto, it was a troublesome task."

"I thought Uzumaki Naruto wasn't afraid of a little trouble," Hinata replied as she kissed his cheek. Naruto grinned ferociously and picked her up, muffling her squeak of protest by covering her mouth with his. Nearly a minute later, they both came back up, gasping for air.

"I finished the mission, didn't I?" Naruto said to a panting Hinata, "Honestly, Hinata, you have to put a little more faith in me."

"I'm still your girlfriend, aren't I?" Hinata replied pertly. Naruto nodded slowly, and put his arm around her as they walked back down to the village. The sun was starting to peek over the horizon, and a warm glow began to permeate both of their bodies.

"I was thinking Hinata…" Naruto started softly.

"_Thinking_ Naruto-kun? Is that healthy for you?"

"Seriously, Hinata," Naruto replied firmly, "This whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing… you and me… is it really what you want?"

"Of course!" she nearly shouted, "What do you think this relationship has meant to me?"

"Well, I'll be honest with you," Naruto said gravely, "I'm getting tired of it." Hinata pulled away from him, her eyes wide with shock and the beginnings of heart break.

"Tired of it, Naruto-kun?" she whispered as all the color drained from her face.

"Very tired," Naruto said firmly, "That's why I want you to have… this." He finished by pulling out a small, black velvet box. He dropped to his knees and opened it. Inside was a gold ring banded with diamonds.

"Will you marry me, Hinata?" Hinata's eyes filled with tears and she began to shake. She shuffled forward and slapped Naruto as hard as she could.

"Ouch! I'm hoping that's a traditional Hyuuga gesture for agreement."

"Naruto-kun, you idiot!" she cried out, flinging herself on top of him and snatching the ring from him, "Even your proposal had to be a prank!" She kissed him again and again, alternately laughing and sobbing with joy.

"So does that mean 'yes?'" he asked smugly.

"If I said 'no' what would you have done?" she replied as she nuzzled up against his neck.

"Probably kept trying until you said 'yes,'" he said thoughtfully, "I remember telling you once, that you were someone I could 'like, love, and marry.' I've fulfilled the first two… I'm not about to leave the last one incomplete."

"Of course not," Hinata replied with a content sigh, "You don't go back on your word."

"That's exactly what your father said when I asked for his blessing!" Naruto said with another grin.

"Then, Father is… okay with our engagement?"

"Your dad is a stubborn, snotty prick sometimes," Naruto said with a laugh, "But he knows when something is inevitable. Besides, Konoha's oldest and most powerful clan –the Hyuuga clan – is about to enter an alliance with Konoha's newest and most unpredictable clan…"

"The Uzumaki clan," Hinata finished with a bright smile at her fiancée.

"Welcome to the family," Naruto said as he held her close.

THE END


End file.
